


Shelter

by Seasonal



Category: Persona 5
Genre: Character Study, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, I'm pretty sure we all wanted comfort for this kid, Spoilers, fill out the adoption form already coffee dad, mention of other characters
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-19
Updated: 2017-06-19
Packaged: 2018-11-15 20:52:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,170
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11238960
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Seasonal/pseuds/Seasonal
Summary: Sojiro has an unfortunate habit of being unable to protect the people important to him.  But not this time.  Spoilers up to 11/21.





	Shelter

**Author's Note:**

> This was just a short piece that I had to get out of my system, because I was so mad they didn't have anything in the game for Akira getting taken care of after the interrogation. I also have a weakness for writing scenes that could have been there, so if anyone ever has ideas for what you wish the game could have showed, hit me up! I'm definitely thinking about writing more for this great game.

On the 19th of November, Akira doesn't return to Leblanc. Futaba is the one to drop Morgana off, the cat unusually taciturn in her hold. He meows only once when she sets him on the counter, and leaps off before Sojiro can get through more than two words of a warning about animals perching where the customers eat.

Futaba seems smaller than ever, huddled in her parka, but she shakes her head as he opens his mouth to transition from "Animals shouldn't" to "Tell me what's wrong" (because after all this time, and Akira's firm statements and Futaba finally giving him an unwavering smile, he'd like to think he's finally a decent father _now_ ). She doesn't seem willing to respond, however, shuffling quickly for the door as though Sojiro won't be following after her in a matter of minutes after he closes up the cafe.

Maybe they'd had a fight, he considers, as Morgana takes the stairs up to the attic at a lethargic pace. Maybe it had nothing to do with the whole Phantom Thieves thing. Maybe Akira was frequenting another area before he decided to come back. It wasn't his business, if so, and he can wait the remaining seven minutes before he closes.

Two hours later, he reluctantly locks the door behind him and returns to one child, hoping that he'll be able to call the other one a little shit tomorrow for coming back so late.

On November 20th, a dish shatters and so do his hopes.

Morgana pads into the kitchen and rubs his cheek against his ankle, and Sojiro swallows an involuntary curse, desperate to focus on _anything_ other than what the news is reporting, that those interviewed are decrying the Phantom Thieves and their leader without any solid understanding.

("They _saved_ me," Futaba had choked, through her tears. That alone had stopped him in his tracks.)

"Scoot, you're gonna cut your paws up in here," he gruffly informs Morgana, who obligingly steps back and lets him grab a broom to take care of the mess.

Ceramic shards clink against each other, and as the news report continues and he gathers up the pile into a dustpan to dump in the trash and returns to the front, Sojiro lets his focus wrap around the familiar. His curry recipe, the proper way to grind the particularly dark brand of coffee beans, how the _hell_ he's going to be able to get Akira out of this particular mess--

" _The young man being held in custody has committed suicide. The police have confirmed his death._ "

Sojiro nearly walks into the counter; Morgana is already on top of it, blue eyes fixed on the television screen as though the cat knows exactly what's happening. He doesn't bother telling him to get down, because he doesn't trust his voice when _suicide_ has his throat in a vice grip. Not Akira, he thinks, numbness tinging the certainty that he ought to be denying this with. Not the kid who comes home with salt in his bag and who takes every single instruction about fine coffee to heart, who cared so fiercely about others that he'd risk so much to protect them, risk his _life_ , but him being the one to steal his own?

("I feel like I might die soon," and Wakaba's voice had been unusually soft as she ran a palm over the counter. He'd laughed then, nervously, but the laughter had died. Like _she_ had died, and they blamed _suicide_ when he knew she loved her daughter far too much to leave her willingly but couldn't fling that evidence in their faces.)

Was that it? Had they killed Akira like they'd killed Wakaba? Had he once again failed to protect someone important to him because he hadn't been perceptive enough to know what they were truly facing?

The door jingles, the second-worst possible sound right now, and Sojiro just barely glances over his shoulder to squeeze out a terse "We're _closing_ " because he can't serve coffee and curry right now when his charge is--

... slumped against a very tired-looking prosecutor, favoring one leg and peering at him with eyes so dark he can't tell the irises from the pupils.

"Uh," Sojiro says, lost in so many ways.

Prosecutor Niijima purses her lips, and with a care not usually revealed in her brisk mannerisms, guides Akira towards him. Upon realizing that he's _limping_ , and also not dead but not looking as fresh-faced as he had yesterday, Sojiro extends his arms and Akira collapses against him with a sigh that's half-groan.

"Keep him safe," his deliverer orders, as she pivots on her heel and marches towards the door. "I'll be back tomorrow."

She's gone with no further explanation, leaving Sojiro with a high-school boy who's also supposed to be a very dead leader of the Phantom Thieves. Contrary to what should now probably be popular belief, he can feel Akira taking shaky breaths, body trembling with... exhaustion? Exertion? H's practically dead weight, with how heavily he's leaning against him.

Sojiro may not know what's going on, but he thinks that can wait. For now, he wraps one arm around this stupidly thin boy and rests his free hand on his head. Morgana is meowing nonstop, but again, Sojiro pays it no mind and clears his throat. He's an adult, he can be the strong one here.

"Welcome back. You're safe now."

"I'm home," Akira responds almost instantly, voice so raspy and thin that it might as well be a whisper.

Sojiro laughs, even as his eyes burn. "You _would_ be the punk who'd cheat death to scare the shit out of me, you know that?"

He has so much to do now. Practically carry Akira home, to _his_ home, to tuck him into a proper bed after treating every single bruise, cut, and injury he'd experienced at the hands of those who were _supposed_ to protect society. Give him some water to help flush whatever drug they'd pumped into him out of his system. Tell Futaba to tell her fellow thieves to show up at Leblanc tomorrow (and he's pretty sure he knows who will arrive, at this point). Try to dissuade Morgana from jumping onto the bed. Fail at dissuasion when the cat starts purring loudly as he curls up by Akira's head and doesn't budge for the next few hours. Make sure Futaba and Akira both eat something after one stops running to him to ask for another blanket to throw on top of Akira ("because he looks cold") and the other one gets enough sleep. Remind himself that slamming his elbow into several faces, starting with the one who'd left that deep, painful-looking bruise on his leg, is probably a terrible idea.

For now, he keeps his family close, and swears that this time, it will be different. If Akira won't run from what threatens him, as he'd originally hoped, then Sojiro will be there to lend him the strength to face it head-on.

No matter what.


End file.
